Ouch, I guess I'm one of those guys who slagged the Lani-Honi way back when. This is what I love about this thread. It's giving me guidance on which drinks I need to go back and revisit. Perhaps it was one of my first exposures to Benedictine that accounts for the low rating, but I've since grown to appreciate the liqueur (in smaller doses) so the Lani-Honi is not nearly as jarring as it probably once was. However, I don't think it's very well balanced and seems to be missing something ... perhaps another, darker rum and something else to add some sweetness and balance. So I'm still conservative in my rating, which has been adjusted on the Grogalier, bringing the drink's overall score up to a 6.

That's the first of four that I've revisited that I've changed, but I've got four more on my list, including the Rum Runner, which I suspect I may actually rate lower. I'm not sure what I was thinking seven years ago, but perhaps I was in the midst of spring break revelry. I may compare the original against one with with Lemon Hart and fresh banana, as Kill Devil suggests.

The "Fizz" is a style of drink that dates back to early 20th century but really became famous with the New Orleans' Ramos Gin Fizz. The drink usually uses a combination of an egg white and carbonation to create a distinctive foamy top and a unique fizzy texture. Orange flower water is often added as an additional accent.
The Mariposa fizz is different in that the gin quantity is lowered, the acidity is slightly lowered, and the usual simple syrup sweetener is replaced with a combination of creme de cacao and simple syrup. I enjoyed it very much and found the addition of creme de cacao to be a wonderful new take on the classic. In truth, I upped the Cacao another 1/4 ounce; I just didn't really taste it at first. Do not fear - it will not make the drink too sweet. I still prefer the Ramos and Sloe gin variations of this drink, but this was a nice change.

I opted for Hayman's Old Tom Gin. This is a great example of the classic Old Tom Gin style that was popular pre-prohibition. It's a style of gin that showcases less of a juniper flavor up front and is also ever so-slightly sweetened. Hayman's is a very affordable version of an Old Gin, BUT if you can afford it, try Ransom Old Tom Gin. It's about $10 more than Hayman's but might be worth it. They actually age the gin for a short while, developing the smoothness and character of the flavor from the barrel.

Make sure you shake this up as much as possible to achieve the right look and taste. My photo is a terrible example of what it should look like. I waited too long to snap a picture.

No question about it; this drink is beautiful. The color is ghostly, ethereal, elegant, and mysterious. The taste is not. This is sweet. Very sweet. Too sweet. I did not like this drink very much.

This drink looks like a classic Aviation (classic, meaning = touch of creme de violette added) but the Aviation is sophisticated, well-balanced, and tasty. This drink fails to deliver on any promise its appearance makes to imbiber.

To be fair, the Marie Brizard is probably the culprit. I usually enjoy their products very much, but in this case the underlying orange flavor of the parfait amor tasted artificial. There was a cloying unnatural sweetness reminiscent of bubblegum that carried all the way through to the final drink.

In addition, I prefer my daiquiris with an additional 1/2 ounce of rum and double the lime. Perhaps if I had tried this way, the flavors might be better balanced. Either way, there are so many other brilliant daiquiris I would try first. I think this is another example of how each taster brings their own preferences to a drink. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will enjoy this drink and I would never begrudge them their pleasure.

My wife and I enjoyed this last night but quickly came to the conclusion that snuggling under covers while watching TV was not the best setting for the Aku Aku Lapu. This drink needs to be enjoyed on a very hot and sweaty day while sitting in the sun. Some drinks manage to transport you to a tropical setting and some drinks help ease the overlooked discomfort of the tropical setting (sweat / sand / sun / heat / lethargy). This drink clearly falls into the latter category. This would make the searing sun tolerable. This does not take me on a journey.

About the drink; it's very citrusy. It utilizes four different fruit juices and they all vie for attention. They also make the drink a little too sour. I'm not sure why the creator didn't choose limes over lemons for their lower acidity.

The citrus punch tends to overwhelm the falernum and that is a shame. I may have to try this with a more intense falernum or at least increase the ratio. The falernum instead blends with the spiciness of the Lemon Hart and provides the drink a spicy note, that unfortunately, I'm not convinced blends well with the citrus punch aspects of the drink. Finally, the quality and the distinctiveness of the rums used in this drink tend to get a little lost when used in equal proportions; especially when we are talking about using 151 as one of the rums.

This simply shouldn't work. Twelve ingredients could not possibly combine to create this harmoniously marvelous concoction. It's a symphony of flavor that blends into one beautiful chorus. At the same time, this might be the most labor-intensive drink I've ever had to create. It was definitely worth it.

The combination of six juices create a unique fruit punch flavor and owes much to the indespensible honey background notes to elevate the drink to another level. I'm not quite sure how the cranberry juice contributes to the overall flavor, but I don't feel very guilty using the Ocean-spray cranberry cocktail juice because at such a small percentage, the effect must be minimal.

I always appreciate the Pernod and Angostura additions to a tiki drink.These additions were made famous by Donn the Beachcomber. They add a lovely bitter complexity with an anise background. In this drink the two flavors remain very subtle but do add to the whole. I'm also not sure how the almond extract contributes as I couldn't identify it in the finished product.

The drink reminds me of a drink from the Mai Kai. Unfortunately, I can't put my finger on which one specifically. Perhaps someone else can help me identify it on their menu.

If I had to criticize the drink, I'd point to the rum. It simply doesn't push through the drink and gets a bit lost. Even with the addition of a 151, I found the drink slightly weak. If you're looking for a strong rum drink, this may not be for you; especially not when you consider the additional dilution generated by a full glass of ice. I'm not sure how much rum to add or even what type as I definitely don't want to ruin the beautiful balance the drink achieves. I think I would probably try adding an additional 1/2 ounce of dark Jamaican and a 1/4 ounce of 151.

This drink is the perfect secret weapon to wow the tiki neophyte. At the same time, you better have an extra free 10 minutes for each batch you put together.

From what I can tell, Don the Beachcomber didn't often have to follow Trader Vic's lead, but when it comes to the notorious Mai Tai, Don apparently had to come up with some variation of his own. I for one am very glad that he did. But aside from the glass and unstrained delivery - this does not bear much resemblance to a Mai Tai.

This also does not truly resemble a traditional swizzle. As far as I can tell, swizzles are usually served in tall glasses and incorporate "swizzling" in the glass to produce a nice rich and frosty glass.

That being said, this drink is delicious. It's complicated, balanced, and tasty. I decided to use a combination of the Myers and Smith & Cross to substitute for Myer's Plantation, which I suppose is not being made any longer. The combination of the three rums really worked well together. Myer's brought the dark molasses flavor, Smith & Cross brought the funk, and Flor De Cana brought the sugar, smoothness and body to the drink.

The combination of lime, grapefruit, Pernod, and Angostura create a wonderful harmonious bitter background that lets the drink stand apart. In general, Don's use of pernod has always impressed me for its originality in tiki drinks. A word of warning - be careful with the Pernod, it can easily overpower a drink. 6 drops are perfect.

Finally, I liked the spice that the falernum brought to the drink and in the future I may increase the quantity.

Overall, this is a great drink, but the real question is: Is it better than the original: The Mai Tai?

1. You truly taste the quality of all the ingredients you use. Try a different rum and you get a different drink. Use an inadequate lime, you will taste the difference. Use a cheaper orgeat or curaçao and you will not enjoy this as much.

2. It's very well-balanced. All the ingredients blend together, combining to create a fantastic drink.

3. It's refreshing. This will quench any thirst on a hot day. While the combination of sugar, lime, and rum is nothing new, this drink finds a way to distinguish itself from many other similar drinks.

4. Anyone should be able to appreciate this drink. It's neither too tiki, nor is it too craft-cocktail. It appeals to those with a fine palate, just as easily as it can appeal to more pop culture tastes. Everyone likes this drink.

This simply shouldn't work. Twelve ingredients could not possibly combine to create this harmoniously marvelous concoction. It's a symphony of flavor that blends into one beautiful chorus. At the same time, this might be the most labor-intensive drink I've ever had to create. It was definitely worth it.

The combination of six juices create a unique fruit punch flavor and owes much to the indespensible honey background notes to elevate the drink to another level. I'm not quite sure how the cranberry juice contributes to the overall flavor, but I don't feel very guilty using the Ocean-spray cranberry cocktail juice because at such a small percentage, the effect must be minimal.

I always appreciate the Pernod and Angostura additions to a tiki drink.These additions were made famous by Donn the Beachcomber. They add a lovely bitter complexity with an anise background. In this drink the two flavors remain very subtle but do add to the whole. I'm also not sure how the almond extract contributes as I couldn't identify it in the finished product.

The drink reminds me of a drink from the Mai Kai. Unfortunately, I can't put my finger on which one specifically. Perhaps someone else can help me identify it on their menu.

Great drink, worthy of a high rating. When I see an old-school drink with that many ingredients in one of the Bum's books, I assume it's there for a good reason. And it usually delivers. Wait until you get to the Puka Punch. Very similar but better rums.

With the exception of the cranberry and the almond, those are all ingredients found in quite a few Mai-Kai cocktails in different combinations. It's in the same wheelhouse as the Mutiny, Black Magic and Hukilau, minus the coffee.

Congrats on hitting 50 on a high note. I completely agree with saving a "5" rating for only the best of the best. Assuming it will be one of the Zombies.

I can see how this recipe was based upon the original Mai Tai. I can also see how it helped foster the de-evolution of the classic recipe into the monstrous versions many places today refer to as a Mai Tai. These bastardizations miss a key element of the original's success. The original Mai Tai manages to find balance within elegant simplicity; it also tastes complex and yet at the same time distinctive. You know when you're drinking a real Mai Tai.

This drink attempts to increase the complexity of the original but never finds a distinctive, or even interesting voice.

This drink was serviceable but it fails to impress in any significant way. The drink is out of balance. There is a whole lot of citrus flavor coming from the lime, lemon, orange, pineapple, and curaçao. The citrus combination borders on being too sour. At the same time there is too much sweetness from the curaçao, orgeat, juices, and simple syrup. Finally, the combination of rums gets muddled and the rums lose their distinctive qualities. While the beauty of the rum is lost, a strong flavor of alcohol remains - not in a good way.

Rather than achieving a harmony, this combination leads to a battle between the sour, bitter, sweet, and alcohol with no winners emerging. Not even me.

The Bum says it all when he states that this, "recipe commits every sin in the Mai Tai playbook." Yet, he is also correct when he states, "the result isn't bad."

Maybe there is a bit more to say. This drink has a lovely nutty accent that I haven't tasted before. As best I can tell, it comes from the combination of the Chateau Du Juge (sweet dessert wine) and the grenadine. The flavor accent is closer to Maraschino than an orgeat flavor, but it helps to give the drink its own voice.

At first glance at the recipe, one might think this drink would end up too sweet, but in fact, the ingredients harmonize pretty well. It is sweet, but not overly so, thanks to the very low amounts of pineapple and orange juice. The proportions seem to be carefully thought out and mostly well-balanced.

The combination of rum is great. I like the way the Jamaican and Barbados rum play off each other. The Jamaican brings the high esther funk while the Plantation brings a lovely brown sugar sweetness. - This would be a great time to mention how much I'm enjoying my recent acquisition - Plantation 5 year rum; what an amazing value for such a great tasting rum. This rum was under $20 and could even qualify as a sipper - it's that good. Finally, the Lemon Hart helps raise the strength without overpowering the flavors of the other rums. Once again, a surprisingly well-planned drink.

Finally a word about Sauternes. Basically it is a French sweet wine affected by Botrytis Cinerea, also known as Noble Rot (Wikipedia), resulting in a very sweet dessert wine. All the affordable Sauternes were sold out at my local favorite shop (Astor Wines) and there was no way I was spending over $30 for a bottle I didn't intend to use often. Personally, I'm not a huge sweet wine drinker. Fortunately, the folks at Astor are insanely knowledgable about their products, and they helped guide me to the Chateau Du Juge. It is not an actual Sauternes wine, but it is a dessert wine made from botrytized grapes; it also comes from France. The substitute they assured me would work much the same way in my drink.

That being said, I'm not sure I would make this drink again. It was interesting but perhaps not interesting enough.

First, this might be my favorite name for a tiki drink. Unfortunately, the final product falls short of earning such an interesting moniker. 1 and 1/2 ounces of alcohol does not meet the minimum requirements needed to destroy a missionary's lifelong's commitment to god. Any drink claiming to have such life-altering powers must contain least 4 ounces of alcohol and a floater of Lemonhart 151.

This drink was not bad, but I didn't particularly care for it very much. This most likely stems from a combination of my personal taste as well as my execution. I found the drink a little too sweet. The combination of peach, honey, and pineapple sound great in a fruit salad, but in a drink the flavors get a bit muddled and don't come into balance; especially considering the small proportion of alcohol and lime used in the drink. This drink definitely needed more rum; not just because I'm an aspiring alcoholist, but also because a stronger contrast is needed to balance the sweetness of the fruit and the herbal mint flavor. Next time I will also increase the lime to 3/4 of an ounce; as the drink lacked a bit of an acidic punch that could help elevate it.

I found that the sweetness of the peach and honey actually mask the tartness of the pineapple. The pineapple seems to get lost in the drink. I assume using freshly diced pineapple was important for the texture of the drink. It does remind me of the texture of a smoothie. I very much enjoyed the fresh mint flavor and would love to see it in more tiki drinks. I also realize that I should have blended the drink without ice or pineapple first to bring the mint and the liquor and syrups together.

As I continued drinking, it began to grow on me; but never enough to earn a better rating. I will have to try this one again with more rum and lime juice and incorporating a better blending process.

I don't think I've ever executed a Missionary's Downfall correctly at home. So I've rated it pretty low and don't make them much at all. During the same trip to Hale Pele where I had a Jungle Bird I could get behind, I also was served a great Missionary's Downfall. So I know it's possible.

- If young couple were heading into a tiki bar for a meal in the 40s, I'm thinking the 'Don Draper esq' guy has a traditional 'guy' drink (whiskey?) & the woman asks for a 'special rum drink' that she'd heard so much about. She receives Missionary's Downfall & it's so different to what she is used to. She says to him 'you've gotta try one of these...'.
He asks for a drink 'like that but manly' & gets a Navy Grog (a daiquiri mutation). He loosens his tie, they have a good Chinese meal, they plan a return visit with friends... & so on. 'Tiki's popularity rises.

Maybe I'm being romantic

I rarely drink em with booze but they are a drink I enjoy make virgin whenever I buy a fresh pineapple & mix up a batch of honey mix